Fire in Babylon charters the epic struggle of the West Indies cricket team through the 1970s and 1980s as they became world champions, known for their fearsome and aggressive style of play.

But the documentary delves deeper beyond the sporting achievements and paints the victories against a backdrop of racism from which the Caribbean – and the wider world – was starting to emerge.

As film maker Stevan Riley told Channel 4 News, it was “a story of freedom, independence and black pride through bat and ball”.

That pride manifested itself on the pitch in ferociously fast bowling, designed as much to terrify opposing batsmen as to capture their wickets.

At the heart of this ethos – and the West Indies team – were four bowlers who each were able to bowl at over 90mph – earning themselves the nickname “the four horsemen of the apocalypse”: Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Colin Croft and Joel Garner.

Channel 4 News Sports reporter Keme Nzerem travelled to the Oval to meet two of the “horsemen”, Colin Croft and Joel Garner. They described their feelings on the effect of cricket on Britain’s black youth at the time – especially when the Windies team came to play their former masters: England.

Colin Croft met British fans who said a victory on the cricket field went beyond the sporting arena.

“When the West Indies won,” Croft said, the fans told him “we could go to work with our backs straight and heads high.”

“I was proud that people could meet me on the street, on the buses and somebody walks up to you and says ‘Why thank you. Because you’ve represented us well’.